Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Senator Gold, let’s shift once again to Global Affairs, and put our eyes outside our shores to the very tragic situation in Turkey and northern Syria. More than 11,000 people have now been reported to have fallen victims to the earthquake. I want to, first of all, congratulate the government, and please do convey this to them, on the quick announcement of $10 million of aid to the earthquake victims and then, shortly following that, a pledge to match the donations of Canadians who are opening their hearts, minds and wallets through the Red Cross. That’s really good news.

I met today, however coincidentally, with the Red Cross. They are here in Ottawa for International Development Week. They alerted me to the fact that getting aid to Syria is more complex, partly because of what they have been through in these long years of war and partly because we have imposed sanctions. Some of these sanctions prevent aid from getting to the people in need, almost like what is happening in Afghanistan.

I want to ask you to please make the government aware of this issue and ensure us that they will consider this as they flow their aid to Syria. Thank you.

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Thank you, minister, for being with us today. My question is about Afghanistan. I asked this question last week of Senator Gold, your representative in the Senate, and I was informed that you were seized with the issue of providing a solution to the current conundrum of the anti-terrorism code and its impact on the delivery of humanitarian and other aid on the ground in Afghanistan because if Canadian non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, or Canadians did that, they stand in danger of being prosecuted under the Criminal Code.

I want to remind you that the U.S. and the U.K., the two most security-conscious nations in the world, have made exemptions to their anti-terrorism code to provide for the work of NGOs.

Can you kindly tell me when — and it is the “when” that is important, not so much as the how — are you going to table a solution?